


Memories Resurfaced

by FinickityinFields123 (orphan_account)



Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: Episode: s07e07 Dark Memories, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 13:03:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20489336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/FinickityinFields123
Summary: What if JP's old school friend brought back more than hidden away memories of being bullied.[Complete]





	Memories Resurfaced

**Author's Note:**

> Episode tag to Dark Memories of season 7 Death in Paradise.  
Slight AU for the episode and the show itself.  
Rape warnings - not too graphic - but still trigger warnings.

"Cordell Thomas, why are you so convinced he's guilty." Detective Inspector Mooney spoke eventually, trying to remain the firm superior officer. He looked across at JP - half concerned, half intrigued, "There's more going on here than just an old face from the past; isn't there?"

He watched, curious but worried, as his friend looked sharply away; calmly meeting his eyes when the younger man glanced back towards him before intently staring at the floor.

JP leaned against the railing, listening to the birds of San Marie behind him; and opened his mouth to speak before closing it again.

"Sir, Cordell... At school, Cordell - we were only kids. He- it was just messing around. I'm not sure I would call it bullying, only-" he broke off and his eyes took on a slight glaze as he seemed lost in his memories.

The inspector glanced across at him, once, twice, three times before speaking worriedly: "You alright there, JP?"

Officer Hooper shook himself out of his daze, with a look of horror and slight sickness forming unconsciously on his face. "I-I need to go Sir," he muttered almost incoherently to his superior. Then he started to make his stumbling way down the station's steps and to the street; when Jack reached out an arm to stop him, he flinched away and began to run, utterly uncoordinated, away from them all.

Jack turned hurriedly back inside to consult his remaining team.

"Guys, what's going on with JP?" he asked them outright.

"Huh?" Dwayne replied, "What are you talking about?"

"He was trying to explain why he was so convinced Cordell over there," he gestured to the cells, "Is guilty..."

"And?" Florence prompted him.

"And he just trailed off, from speaking about his experiences at school, to staring at the floor looking ill."

"Is he okay?" "Should I go talk to him?" His colleagues questioned as one - both seeming mildly embarrassed that they had, looking pointedly away from each other.

Jack would probably have let out a chuckle, except JP's odd behaviour was weighing quite heavily on his mind.

"No," he explained, "He ran off."

"What?" Florence exclaimed, "Ran off? Why?"

"I have no idea." The detective replied, exasperated. "But, I'm worried."

He looked between his teammates, meeting their eyes after his admission - not backing down.

"What do you want us to do Sir?" Dwayne asked, uncharacteristically subdued.

"Well should we go after him?" Mooney asked them, frowning in concentration as they debated upon it.

"I don't know Sir." Florence told him.

"Well I'll go after him if you want." Dwayne offered finally.

"No," Mooney answered, "Let Florence go find him in a minute."

"Me Sir?" she asked.

"You don't want to?" he replied shrewdly.

"Oh... Yes Sir. It's just-" she looked over a Dwayne, who met her gaze with raised eyebrows.

"It's just a hunch Florence." Jack told her evenly, she nodded her acceptance and moved towards the door. "Just... Be careful."

"Of JP?" she frowned.

"Something's not right here." he explained. She nodded slowly then left, striding quickly to begin her search...

Meanwhile, Jack lingered in the station and as Dwayne watched bemused, he began to ponder previous minutes.

He remembered JP had been talking about Cordell, he'd referred to him as his school bully, then...

"He must have _remembered_ something." He cried exasperated, "But what?"

"Sir?' Dwayne spoke up, confused at the outburst.

"JP, " the detective responded unhelpfully, "He was telling me about Cordell and his school years. Apparently he bullied him."

"Who?" Dwayne asked, lost.

"JP. " Came the reply.

"JP bullied him?" Dwayne exclaimed.

"No, no." Mooney responded, "Cordell. _Cordell_ bullied him. JP..."

"Ohh. But why? Why would anyone _bully_ JP?" Dwayne replied somewhat angrily, and Mooney tried to not slip into anger himself as he recalled the look on JP's face before he'd run off.

"I don't know Dwayne. You could ask him if you like?"

"Sure thing Sir. Consider it done." Dwayne told him with a cold glint in his eye.

"_Dwayne_," Mooney reminded him. "Just asking him, okay?"

Dwayne nodded glumly but continued to head towards the cells with a fierce determination.

Jack sighed and thought back over the events of the day. He recalled looking twice at JP during the last 'download' session at the station - wondering what he was keeping from them.

Now more than ever before, the DI wished JP could have talked to them; instead of running off.

He wondered what the issue was, to cause such a reaction considering it was technically in the distant past.

"Obviously not for JP." he muttered to himself, "I hope Florence has caught up to him."

She had in fact, done just that.

Florence had legged it out of the station as soon as the detective had told her to follow JP. As she ran in the direction he'd said their teammate had headed, she mused worriedly over what was going on.

She'd known JP a long while now, he'd been one of her first friends on the island, her promotion the reason for his joining the team.

Although his partner was Dwayne and that was reflected in their close friendship, she knew (or at least _thought_) they were good friends themselves.

She couldn't help but wonder why the Inspector had sent herself, instead of Dwayne; whose job it would have been in a more traditional and regimented setting - instead of their beautiful island.

But she trusted her superior and so put on an extra burst of speed as she saw a stumbling figure on the road a way ahead of her.

They managed to remain in front of her for some distance until she rounded the next bend and saw the road was empty. She stopped, breathing hard, and looked about her.

A little frantically she kept walking, sharp eyes scanning her surroundings for any sign of her missing colleague. As her lungs recovered and her hearing cleared, she noticed a faint sound off to the left-hand side of the wide island road.

As she approached the sound got louder and some distant part of her mind registered that it was the sound of someone being sick.

"JP!" she exclaimed as she finally spotted him - clearly the one she had heard - retching into the bushes a little way in.

As she spoke, he looked up and his face contorted in fear, of _her_, she realised; and he took off again, this time into the trees.

She watched him, shocked into immobility, as he stumbled away; crashing into a tree and lurching to the next, before crumpling to the ground.

At that point she moved, swift and anxious, to his side. He clutched at her as he threw up again, thankfully missing her for the most part and she held tightly onto him.

Darkly she wondered if she was the only thing keeping him up.

With the spout of vomiting over, JP struggled round to face her, and she anxiously scrutinized his face.

If it weren't for the fact that she'd seen him, healthy - if a little distracted; and, for want of a better word, down - not ten minutes earlier; she would have rung for an ambulance to get him to the hospital.

His eyes were red and bloodshot, presumably from crying; and he stank of puke, again presumably his own. Most worrying was that he held himself like he had the weight of the world resting on his shoulders, this was not the JP she knew.

He sagged in her arms as they half sat, half lay, crouched on the forest floor. She didn't dare try to get him upright - too afraid he'd collapse again - and she wasn't sure she was strong enough to catch him.

She eyed him, openly concerned, it was clear this was serious. There was something seriously wrong here.

"JP?" she prompted him, quietly. Just trying to get some kind of response, really - to show he was conscious - than some sort of answer.

But he groaned and plaintively tugged at the arms locked around him, clearly wanting to be released. 

A little reluctantly, but also more than confident he could not get away from her, she complied. The pair slowly rose to their feet; her cautiously, watching his every twitch and shaky movement like a hawk.

But soon standing they were, and although Officer Hooper did look like he would go down again at any second, he stood pretty securely - leaning against a nearby tree to separate himself from her entwined arms.

She watched him sadly as he curled inwards, uncomfortable with her assessing gaze and hunching forward to protect himself from its probing reach.

"JP." He looked up at her face briefly, before dropping his gaze to focus unsteadily on the ground.

She sighed, the held out her hands to him offering support not just providing it from the get-go. "Let's get you home, eh?"

"N-n-no." His first words to her since she'd caught up to him. She frowned, kinda glad he'd spoken, but now wondering what to do with him.

"We can't stay here." she told him gently, then sighing again more frustratedly. "JP?"

He shook his head frantically, uncurling enough to look like he was about to leg it - as best he could that is.

"Look, where do you want to go?" she asked him, softly. "I'm not gonna leave you here."

He closed his eyes, tired but also to block her out, and remained silent for so long she wasn't sure if he was still awake.

Finally he spoke with a roughened voice: "Back to the station?"

"Okay." She agreed immediately, trying to reassure him as best she could, "It's gonna be okay, JP."

And with that she pulled him up and the pair slowly and very unsteadily, made their way back to the police headquarters of San Marie.

Meanwhile, at the station Dwayne had returned from the cells without an answer. Thinking it was better to have left than punched the guy, he'd come back to find the Inspector gone.

With a sigh and not much else to do, he sat back at his desk to carry on some work regarding the current case; waiting really, for someone to appear.

It turned out to be the Detective Sergeant.

Florence ran through the door of the station, immediately stopping as she crossed the threshold. She turned to Dwayne, "Where's the inspector?" she asked him hurriedly.

"No clue" he answered in his Caribbean twang, "Where's JP?"

"I found him." she told him, a little breathlessly. "He's waiting down by the stalls, no point getting him up here only to get him back again."

"Why? What's the matter with him?" he questioned her, confused.

"I don't know, but he should _not_ be working." she answered determinedly, adding sadly. "He cannot work."

"What?" Dwayne exclaimed quietly, more to himself than Florence, "What _is_ going on here?"

"We need Sir." Dwayne nodded slowly, unsure of everything but that. "I'm gonna call him, can you go to JP for a bit?" She asked him uncertainly, not wanting to push the shaken man.

"Of course!" he assured her, with a bit of his usual charm. She gestured impatiently out the doors through which she had entered and watched him, somewhat hesitantly, exit to find their worrisome colleague.

While Florence turned her attention to her missing superior...

"Sir?" she spoke quickly as he answered the phone on the first ring.

"Ah, Florence. You catch up with JP?"

"Yes Sir, I'm back at the station. JP is outside with Dwayne now." she glanced out the open doorway to check this, and soon spotted the two uniformed officers in the shadow of one of the colourful stalls. The pair looked grayscaled and somehow drained of colour in the cover of the tall stand's shadow.

Dwayne was almost hugging him, gingerly though, as if he didn't want to hurt him.

She remembered her own actions in the forest after she'd run after JP. _Offering_ her arms, rather than just grabbing onto him. Like one would with a victim, someone injured and hurting. Like someone who had been attacked.

"Sir," she added worriedly, "I think something worse is going on here than playground upsets."

"I agree Florence," he responded over the phone, "I'm on my way back now, I was just speaking to the old head."

"Head?" She asked him, confused.

"Yes, headteacher. Of JP and Cordell's old school?" He clarified, "She's been retired a couple of years now but lives nearby. I just thought it would be worth popping in, see if she could shed some light on this mess." he explained, growing more frustrated as he went.

"And?" his second-in command prompted, still stood holding the phone staring out of the door, "Was the trip worthwhile?"

"Yes Florence." he told her, "Unfortunately, I think it was."

"Unfortunately?" she pushed worriedly, instantly picking up on the slightly disturbed tone in his voice. "Why?"

"I'll explain when I'm back, I'm only a minute away now. And I'd rather explain when Dwayne is there too. How are they doing?"

She glanced over again and told him: "Dwayne's got him sat down, thank goodness. He seemed about to fall over."

"Yes," the inspector responded distractedly, "I'll bet."

Suddenly Florence noticed the detective's outline appearing around the corner and said to him, "I see you Sir, I'll come and meet you."

"Okay then." was the reply then the pair hung up and Florence headed out of the station once again.

As she approached, she began to notice details about her friend that worried her. He was walking swiftly, but clumsily (reminding her in part of his predecessor). His hands were shaking and his face pale - even paler, she should say. He looked ill, not as JP had looked when she'd last seen him up close, but still pretty unwell all the same.

Jack Mooney looked up into the blue San Marie sky and waited, puffing a little, for his sergeant to get near. She waved despondently to him, and as she closed the gap to about a metre she called out to him.

"Sir!"

"Yes Florence." He replied, concentrating to get the words out. "It's me. Where are the others?"

"Over there Sir," she turned on the spot as she reached his side, to point to a brightly coloured stall near the station. Just behind which were two hunched figures in blue. Dwayne and JP.

DI Mooney sighed, closing his eyes for a moment to prepare himself somehow; then started towards his officers, the detective sergeant in tow.

While they'd been filling each other in, Dwayne had also been very busy. When he'd left Florence he'd been confident, certain that this whole business was a big misunderstanding, or at the very least, an overreaction on the part of his superiors.

"All I have to do is invite him for a drink and he'll start talking, then we can have this all cleared up by sundown." He thought positively to himself. Positively _unrealistically_.

He strode up to his friend as he sat on the edge of the curb outside of the station, clapping him familiarly on the back, crying: "JP!"

He never got the chance to continue as his partner almost leapt into the air the moment his hand made contact. The flinch was so severe Dwayne practically flinched too, as the younger man made him jump (as much as he had him, he realised).

Gazing terrified at his downed partner, his experienced eyes picked out details he'd have rather not seen. The way JP held himself - tightly - as if he was afraid to let go for fear he'd fall apart. The way he avoided his eyes, not really looking up at all; let alone in the direction of Dwayne, as he hovered - protective and concerned - over him.

Officer Myers quickly scanned his surroundings, noticing a more protected space amongst the vibrant stands near to where they were currently situated.

With a gentle - but hopefully firm (but not too firm) - hand on JP's shoulder to direct the man to stand, followed by a loosely grasping hand on his arm to guide him; Dwayne directed the younger man over to the shaded spot.

Safer than they had been on the street - at least physically - but from JP's continued state, Dwayne presumed his friend was not safe from whatever was going on in his mind. From the way his hands shook, and his legs would barely support him, Dwayne guessed it was not good - whatever it was.

He was worried, more than worried to be honest. He crouched in front of the hunched form of Officer Hooper, half guarding him from the stares of those few people that were around, but also protecting him from himself to some degree. The last thing JP needed was to become more worked up and get into a state, Dwayne was there to keep him calm (as calm as he could be) and out of harm's way.

Biting his lip to keep the tears in his eyes from spilling over, Dwayne considered the quivering wreck before him. "Too late for that," he thought despairingly to himself, "He's already been hurt. And I wasn't there. Why wasn't I there?"

To JP he directed a falsely light tone and asked _(rhetorically)_, "How you doing buddy?"

His 'buddy' refused to look at him and gave no real reaction to his having spoken. Dwayne sighed tensely and looked over towards the station, just in time to see Florence leg it out and up the road. "Where's she going?" he muttered aloud.

Turning back to his primary concern for the moment, he tried to place a calming hand on a shivering arm. The resulting flinch was so large, JP almost smacked his head on the nearest stall; Dwayne sighed again in defeat.

He sat back on his heels and resorted to simply watching his pal, not sure what he could do even if JP worsened (if that was even possible), if he could not put his hands on him. Dwayne frowned to himself, mulling over that last thought as he knelt there, waiting...

An easily recognisable shout broke him from his reverie.

"Dwayne!"

"Sir!" Dwayne answered, wheeling round from his charge to greet his superiors as they ran up.

"I've got news," the inspector told him levelly, peering behind Dwayne's uniformed back to scan JP's crouched figure.

"What?" Dwayne asked, also throwing a glance over his shoulder at his friend.

"Not here." DI Mooney cautioned, "Let's get JP inside the station."

"Sir," Florence interjected, "I'm not sure we're gonna manage him up those stairs."

"You're right Florence." he paused and thought for a second. Reviewing all the information he currently had available, he made a decision. "Let's go to the shack."

"The _shack? _" Florence asked confused and astonished, "Why sir?"

"This mess has been far too formalised as it is. This is a _personal_ matter and should be done in _personal_ and _private_ settings. Wouldn't you agree?"

He looked between his team, Florence and Dwayne exchanging looks before casting assessing glances in the direction of their final member.

"Yes," Dwayne agreed, just as Florence says, "Let's do it." And with that began the difficult task of getting JP standing, walking and into the jeep.

Eventually they managed it, Florence it turned out was the only one would could touch him without a meltdown - Jack mused darkly over that little nugget of information. Their teammate was barely with it and seemed to not see them but other people, who did not treat him with the kindness that his friends did.

_Finally_, they were all situated in the vehicle; Dwayne in the back with JP curled up next to him, Florence was driving with the inspector in the passenger seat. She looked across at him and whispered, "Shouldn't we take him home, Sir?"

"Rosie's away for the week, remember. And I, for one, am not about to leave him in an empty house - alone - for the foreseeable future." Florence nodded vigorously in agreement then stepped on it.

The jeep sped away from the station; off to Jack's home and hopefully to safety, or in the very least, some answers...

As they pulled up at the Shack, Jack let out a breath as his eyes locked onto his home - on San Marie - and Florence parked the jeep.

JP had been quiet, but he seemed to have been... _Recovering._ He'd come back to himself a little and been more aware for the last section of the drive, looking around and sitting more upright. All the same, Mooney wanted to get him inside and settled down.

He was going to be sleeping here tonight.

Together the Honoré police force moved swiftly to get their friend out of the jeep and into the comfort and security of the inspector’s house. Dwayne almost jumping to open JP’s car door, Florence running to wrap an arm round JP to steady him, then guiding him into the hut – the inspector walking quickly to open his front door and clear a path in and onto the sofa. They managed it easily, really. All working as one unit to achieve the same goal – how could they not.

Not to mention, JP was much more able – less of a flinching rag doll and more of a human being. Florence got him sat on the couch in Jack’s front room, helping him to swing sideways and get his feet curled up next to him. Dwayne entered from sorting out the jeep, carrying a bag of JP’s stuff: his pre-prepared surveillance kitbag from his desk. The Detective Inspector leaving his kitchen and moving to stand in the remaining gap round JP’s makeshift bed.

The three of them stared down at him, silently worrying and wondering – what now? JP refused to look up and didn’t meet their eyes at all, the trio exchanged meaningful glances then at Mooney’s jerk of his head, retreated into the back room to have a hurried conference.

“So, he’s here now... And he’s settled.” Dwayne spoke first in a low voice.

“Yes. Should we stay?” Florence responded in a near whisper.

Their superior shook his head and the anxious pair frowned in uncanny unison.

“No Florence, I need you to go now.” He told her gently.

“Why Sir?” Dwayne asked puzzled and all the more worried.

“Ssshh.” Florence hushed him, and Jack smiled slightly.

“He knows you care and that you’re here for him, that’s what he needed up till now.”

“But now?” Dwayne prompted, in a notably quieter volume.

“He needs to rest.” Jack explained simply, “And we need... answers.” he added under his breath.

“What?” Florence queried, “You’re going to interrogate him in this state.”

“_No_ Florence.” Jack replied with a shake of his head, “I’m going to make sure he _sleeps,_ first of all.” She nodded, sated, and let him continue.

“He’s more likely to open up with just me here, and this is my house – so I do think _I _should stay, don’t you?” he pointed out with a small smile.

His colleagues relaxed a little and he nodded to himself – then let them go...

“_Shoo,_” he told them. “Be off, go home – _sleep_. I can take it from here.”

Florence flashes him a quick smile then makes a swift – but unhurried - exit. Dwayne pauses at the door to look back at his superior, then glancing to JP’s dozing form he squares his shoulders and leaves. The door closes softly behind them.

Watching them leave, Jack felt like all his confidence was leaving with them, his eyes drifted back towards his dozing guest – to his friend, who was hurting.

Hesitantly he stepped towards the couch and knelt down beside the blanketed form lying on it, taking a deep breath (both physically and metaphorically) he spoke, softly and quietly, words only for JP and no one else.

“JP. We need to talk.”

Blearily on cue, Officer Hooper’s eyes opened and focused sharply on the DI’s concerned (and noticeably nervous) face. He sat up a little and turned to face his superior, chin lifted bravely though his lips quivered.

“She told you, didn’t she?” he asked him, simply “I gave you enough: school, Cordell, bullying that wasn’t quite bullying. All you had to do was ask.”

“Yes.” Mooney told him quietly, somehow immediately knowing who he was referring to; and JP slumped back down at that gentle admission. “She retired a few years back, so I had to track her down – but she still lives close by, so…”

“What did she tell you exactly?” JP questioned defeatedly, “How much do you know?”

“Only the basics really. Cordell had control over you – he could do whatever he wanted to you.” Jack answered solemnly.

“That’s true enough, alright.” JP agreed bitterly.

“But it kept escalating, perhaps more than the teachers realised at first?” Jack suggested uncertainly.

“Yeah.”

“Until…”

“Say it.

“I-“

“Say it Inspector!”

“He got you to perform sexual acts…” Jack finished in a shaky voice, barely audible. He daren’t meet JP’s eyes, but when he did, he found the younger man was staring solidly at him – unflinching.

“Like?” he pressed, ruthlessly.

“I don’t know JP, I don’t know.” Mooney replied, throwing his hand sup in the air and half turning away from him to sit with his back against the sofa.

“It started off small. Little things that didn’t seem like too much of a step up from what he already had me doing.” JP began.

“You don’t have to do this.” Jack told him gently.

“No Sir, I think I do. For years now I have pushed away what happened in those few short years, now I see him again after so much time has passed - and it’s like seeing him the day after. I _have_ to deal with this… Somehow.”

“Okay, whatever you’re fine with JP.” The inspector almost whispered, not wanting to break his friend’s determination.

“It began slowly, just little escalations, that I almost didn’t notice. No, that’s not quite true – I didn’t want to notice, I didn’t want to see what he was doing to me.” He broke off, his voice full of tears. “From kneeling when he was around, to crouched in front of him being used as a foot rest, to kneeling by him with his pants around his knees. Leading to on all fours with my pants gone and him behind me, and I thought it couldn’t get any worse from there!” he let out a bitter self-mocking laugh, “In fairness they gave me a while to ‘get used’ to _that_ first. I think they expected me to tell someone.”

Sensing a pause, Jack asked curiously “And did you?” JP looked at him with tear-filled eyes and shook his head despairingly.

“I don’t know why!” he exclaimed desperately, he clutched at Jack, “Why didn’t I just tell someone, right at the start before it got any worse! Why couldn’t I just say it?” he shouted wildly, tears now streaming from his eyes.

“JP,” Mooney told his, his heart-breaking but his voice steady; “You were just a kid, you didn’t know what to do.” He held the younger man and rocked him slightly, his head resting atop JP’s – before straightening his arms to bring his eyes in line with his. “And you shouldn’t have had to. Okay? Do you hear me? You shouldn’t have had to know what to do.” He looked JP in the eye and calmly told him: “It wasn’t your responsibility to keep yourself safe – you should never have been put in that position. Do you understand JP?_ It was not your fault._”

JP nodded slowly, backing away from the ragged embrace and curling up on the sofa again, arms cradling a cushion and head resting back tensely on the arm.

“I am _so_ proud of you.” Jack murmured. “So _so_ proud of you right now.”

JP lifted his head to frown puzzled at the DI. “Why?”

“Because after seeing Cordell for the first time in _years_ \- after he seriously hurt you. You _didn’t_ almost kill him!” He replied with a wry grin, then adding seriously. “Because you have been so strong and so _awesome_ in the face of all this. You are a great police officer and a great person and a great friend. Thank you for that.” JP stared at Mooney in astonishment and he giggled slightly: “Sorry, that wasn’t very British of me, was it?”

“No,” JP answered with a short laugh of his own, he sobers quickly and turns to face him. “Thank _you,_ Inspector.” He bit his lip and summoned up his courage: “I didn’t think I could ever laugh again, I didn’t think I could be alone with another man again, I didn’t think I could touch anyone again.” He paused hesitantly, and Jack waited patiently for him to get his thoughts in order - presently he resumed: “I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you for that.”

“Well,” Jack replied bashfully, “The others helped too.”

“Yes they did, and I will be sure to tell them thanks as well – just as soon as they don’t think I'm a wacko.”

“I’m sure they don’t think that JP,” Jack told him with a smile in his voice (that he quickly hid the evidence on his face of, when JP looked sharply at him). He sighed and tried to explain: “They are just worried JP. They _care_ – that’s all.”

“All?” JP laughed, genuinely “I should think that’s quite enough to be getting on with, don’t you?”

“I daresay.” Jack responded with his own laughter, then continued. “Look, stay the night – Rosie’s out of town and if you think this is a request then you’re mistaken.” He added seriously. “Things will look brighter in the morning.”

“Will they?” JP asked sceptically.

“Probably not.” Mooney told him with a grin, “But the hope that they might will help you sleep sounder tonight, eh?”

“Good enough for me.” JP told him simply, his stifled yawn betraying how much the day’s events had exhausted him – and no wonder really! Jack smiled briefly then tucked the blankets around his friend.

“_Sleep,_ JP.” He instructed him gently, “I’ll be right here.”

“Always?” was the sleepy response.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write this fanfic with respect to the characters, the series and the subject matter. I hope I have achieved this.
> 
> Also, sorry about the cringy ending!


End file.
